Sophomore linebacker Jon Reschke and junior linebacker Riley Bullough, right, tackle Maryland running back Kenneth Goins Jr. in the first quarter during the game against Maryland on Nov. 14, 2015 at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Terrapins, 24-7.
Football is a sport that requires a lot of mental fortitude. The minute another player is in your head and you hesitate even for a brief moment, you have lost.
There's that cliched quote that sports are 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical and while there is no way to truly quantify this, it really does take a sound mind to make it in football.
"We challenge ourselves. I think that's where the chip comes from, or if you want to say a chip. But we're going to be mentally ready," head coach Mark Dantonio said. "I think from my standpoint, that's a coach's job is to get your guys mentally ready. Know what to do, do it to the best of their ability, make sure that they are rested mentally and emotionally so that they can be at their best and charged."
Sophomore linebacker Jon Reschke and junior linebacker Riley Bullough are the voice of the Spartans on the field. The two linebackers try to get into their opponents heads and give MSU a mental edge.
They've started their mind games with Alabama early, sending Tweets to the Tide's Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry.
@RileyBullough @KingHenry_2 can't wait Derrick!!
— Jon Reschke (@J_Reschke33) December 13, 2015
"He's a celebrity isn't he," Reschke said of Henry. "He doesn't even know about us, but he will."
According to Reschke, Bullough and himself talk trash whenever possible, while on the field, before the game, when other players are in their huddle— any chance they get. They feed off of each other while the other starting linebacker, senior Darien Harris "keeps them sane."
Against Penn State they were shouting across the line of scrimmage to the Nittany Lions quarterback Christian Hackenberg before the first snap.
Their goal in all of this trash talking is to get in their opponents' heads and according to Reschke, they have been able to accomplish this in some of the biggest games of the season.
“We had some guys this season just in a complete shell," Reschke said. "Like Michigan you could see it in their eyes, they couldn’t talk anything back because we were playing so well.
"Ohio State guys didn’t even want to be out on the field and we were letting them know how they didn’t want to be on the field. Their body language was horrible and that’s what we’re shooting for every time. That’s what we want against Bama.”
Sophomore safety Montae Nicholson believes that Reschke and Bullough bring a spark to the defense that fuels everyone else.
“They’re definitely the most animated guys on our team," Nicholson said. "Definitely crazy, but what they have gasses everybody else up. They’re definitely a key part of our defense."
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